- E.U.’s top court has exempted Alphabet Inc GOOG GOOGL Google’s YouTube from illegal uploads of copyright-protected music or videos under the regulator’s old rules, Bloomberg reports.
- However, YouTube and similar platforms will be liable if it was aware of the illegal content and refrained from immediately deleting it or blocking access to it.
- Previously, German music producer Frank Peterson prosecuted Google’s YouTube for videos uploaded on its platform with extracts from singer Sarah Brightman. The producer sought a ban and compensation.
- The ruling was limited to the E.U.’s old copyright rules and preceded a revised law that took effect earlier this month. It mandated YouTube, Facebook Inc FB, and other platforms to install filters to block users from sharing copyrighted material, CNBC reports.
- Tensions over YouTube copyright action intensified in 2020 as the company increasingly automated content moderation due to lockdown restrictions.
- YouTube paid over $4 billion to the music industry over the past 12 months, with 30% of that sum coming from monetized videos.
- Price action: GOOG shares traded higher by 0.58% at $2,543.72 on the last check Tuesday.
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